Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compact ratchet tools and devices for rapidly opening or closing compressed gas cylinder valves otherwise requiring a wrench tool. More specifically, the present invention relates to a compact, palm-driven ratchet tool that facilitates driving a gas cylinder valve post using a ratchet action with a reduced tool swing path, while attachment of the tool to the valve post is possible in low light and emergency situations.
Gas cylinders are used in many fields and industries, and provide a common means of compressed gas transport and storage using cylindrical vessels. The vessels store a gaseous compound in a compressed state for subsequent use. These uses include applications in various manufacturing and production environments, research environments, emergency services uses, and in the medical field. Most of these vessels are delivered through a specific valve that provides access to the compressed contents, wherein the valve may or may not be openable without a tool. For most applications, the end user will deploy a crescent wrench, cylinder key, or opened end box wrench to open and close the valve post. Valve posts themselves are well understood in the field of compressed gas and gas cylinder tanks. However, a need is present for a tool that can more readily open or close the valve posts of these devices and access the gas contents more rapidly, particularly in emergency situations.
Using a crescent wrench or open end box wrench tool to open a gas cylinder valve requires user coordination, patience, and above all that the vessel is clearly visible to the user. The user first has to locate the valve post, secure the wrench thereto, and rotate the tool to open or close the valve. Properly seating the working end of a crescent wrench or an open end box wrench to a gas cylinder post is challenging even under the most optimum of circumstances. However, in high pressure situations involving time sensitive applications or involving environments with less than optimal visibility, properly seating the wrench and accessing the gas can be a cumbersome task.
The present invention relates to a hand tool that facilitates seating and applying torque to a standard gas cylinder straight post, wherein the tool overcomes the common drawbacks in the art associated with locating and efficiency applying torque to the vale post. The present invention aims to replace the use of standard hand tools that are not specific to gas cylinder valve application, such as crescent wrenches and the like, for a tool that is more compact, more efficient, and one that is readily deployable and specifically suited for use with gas cylinder valves. The present invention is contemplated for emergency series and responders in dangerous environments, in the medical field where time is a factor, and also in manufacturing or production environments where efficiency is valued.
The present invention is a ratchet driver tool specifically adapted for engaging the valve post of most common gas cylinders, wherein attachment of the tool and application of torque thereto does not require the user to visualize the valve post or to fiddle with a tool that requires multiple hands. The present invention comprises a compact, one-handed tool having a singular socket specifically for gas cylinder valve posts and a tool handle formed to be palm-held. Within the tool body is a compact ratchet mechanism that can be switched with a slidable actuator. The tool is adapted to provide emergency responders, healthcare professionals, and others with a tool that can be rapidly deployed to open or close the valve post of a gas cylinder, wherein speed, efficiency, and ease of operation are facilitated.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to driver tools and gas cylinder keys. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to simple hand tools that do not provide a ratchet function or are not specifically suited for the purpose of opening and closing a gas cylinder valve under all conditions contemplated by the present invention. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
The devices of the prior art relate largely to simple hand tools that engage the valve post of a gas cylinder and provide leverage for opening and closing thereof. These devices are typically flat instruments that include a notch or similar aperture for secure to the valve post and providing an elongated tool body to apply torque thereto. These devices are well known in the field of gas tanks and provide a convenient tool that both facilitates valve operation while consuming very little space on one's person or in a tool box.
Devices that exemplify these tools include U.S. Design Pat. No. 333,243 to Brown, U.S. Design Pat. No. 267,392 to Hildebrandt, and U.S. Design Pat. No. 301,010 to Renna. These devices are largely flat structures with a tool handle end and a working end with a key or slot adapted for engaging a gas cylinder valve post. A more complex valve tool of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,639 to Knapp, wherein a gas cylinder tank key is provided with a socketed central portion, a slotted first end, and a multi-apertured second end, wherein the tool is adapted to engage a gas cylinder in a plurality of fashions and facilitate an increase in leverage during use.
These devices, while fulfilling a need in the art for opening and securely closing the valve posts of different gas cylinders, fail to provide a ratcheting means to rapidly open and close gas cylinders. These devices are also not compact tools, and comprise elongated tool bodies with a large swing radius. The present invention relates to a ratchet type driver tool that is specifically designed to engage a gas cylinder valve post using a compact, palm driving tool that is deployable in all conditions for efficient opening and closing of various gas cylinders in the field.
Other devices in the art relate to standard ratchet wrenches and socket wrenches. One device in the art that provides a compact ratchet driver is U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,950 to Iwinski, which discloses an oblong tool housing a ratchet mechanism therein and a centrally located shaft portion adapted to be driven by the ratchet mechanism and support a driver tool therein. A ratchet detent mechanism is located within one side of the oblong housing, while an open shaft extends centrally therethrough. The user rotates the housing to apply torque in one of two directions, according to the ratchet mechanism locking direction. This compact device, while providing a handheld ratchet assembly for driving and applying torque, does not contemplate a gas cylinder specific tool having a dedicated valve post driver, nor does this prior art device disclose the construction or arrangement of the ratchet assembly of the present invention, which is centrally located and does not provide a central open shaft. The present invention utilizes a simpler ratchet mechanism to facilitate its compact construction and efficient operation, wherein ratchet direction is controlled by a simple flat spring and a pair of wedge plates acting on a pinion gear of the socket proximal end within the tool body.
It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing gas cylinder valve driver tools. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.